Slat cover



Jan. s, 1935. J, J, KROHN 1,987,149

SLAT COVER Filed April 24, 1953 11191 www *191 INVENTOR.

Patented `Ilan. 8, 14935y i g yUNIrup STATES "ArENr omer;

SLAT

COVER Julius J. Krohn, Arcata, Calif., assignor to California Barrel Company, Ltd.,

San Francisco,

Calif., a corporation of California v 2 Claims.

This invention relates to slat covers such as used on crates and similar containers employed for the shipment of fruits, vegetables, and other commodities.

In the shipment and transportation of lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, and other commodities using a bow or bulge pack, itis common practice to employ covers and sometimes bottom sections which are bowed or sprung outwardly when applied `to a crate, or similar container, so as to maintain sufficient pressure onv the commodity to take up shrinkage during shipment. Covers and bottom sections employed for vthis purposelareusually constructed of veneer strips or slats as they must be rather flexible to permit the required amount of bending, but even though material of that character is used considerable breakage is encountered as the loador stresses applied are not uniformly distributed. The present invention is concerned with socalled unitized 0r manufactured slat covers; that is, covers which are assembled and completed in l the factory and in this condition shipped to the individual users, the object of the invention being to provide a finished cover of the character described which can be quickly and readily applied to a crate, or like container; to provide a cover of the character described which will readily conform itself to a bow or bulge pack and which will be capable of absorbing the load or stresses applied more` uniformly than ordinary covers heretofore used; and further and more specifically stated, to provide a slat cover comprising a pair of cross slats and a plurality of longitudinally extending slats, one or more kof said longitudinal slats being bowed and the remaining slats functioning as tie or chord members to retain the bowed slats in a bowed condition prior to and after the 'cover is applied tor the applied.

Referring to the drawing in detail, A indicates the cover section of a crate, and B the crate' Crates of the type disclosed are par-v proper. ticularly intended for commodities using a bow or bulge pack, and a cover conforming to such a pack is accordingly desired.

The covering forming the subject matter of the present applicationis best shown in Fig. l.

slats are bowed upwardly, as shown, and are held in this `position during the process of manufacture until the slats are stapled, stitched, or otherwise secured with relation to each other, therer after the bow becomes permanent as the side slats form a chord or tie member between the extreme ends of the arc formed by the bowed slats.

A cover constructed, as shown in Fig. 1, will nest and can be stacked in a manner identical to ordinary slatcovers. They are, however, more convenient and easier to apply to a crate as Athe bulged intermediate slats 4 conform more readily to the contents of the crate. When the cover, shown in Fig. 1, is applied breakage ofthe individual slats is not liable to happen as the intermediate slats are already bent, hence when the cover is pressed down and nailed to the end sections of the crate a uniform stress is applied; that is, the side slats 3-3 will bend to a certain extent and so will the intermediate slats 4-4 but as they have been previously bent during the process of manufacture breakage is not as liable to happen as where a cover employing straight slats is employed.

Any suitable material may be f employed, whether it be wood veneer or otherwise, and any number of slats may be employed depending upon the size ofthe crate to which the cover is to be applied. In some instances a single bowed center sla-t may be sufficient, in other instances two, as

shown in Fig. 1, again a wider panel-shaped b'owed slat may be employed, and while this and other featuresy are more or less specifically described, I wish it understood that various changes may be resorted to within the scope ofthe appended claims. Similarly, that the materials and nish of the several parts employed may be such as the manufacturer may decide, or varying'conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is- 1. A pre-bent and assembled flexible slat kcover for crates comprising ja pair of cross slats, one at each end of the cover, a plurality of longitudinally disposed slats forming the sides of the cover, a

plurality` of intermediate slats also longitudinally n disposed and bowed throughout their length, said bowed slatsand side slats being secured at their outer ends to the cross slatsfand said bowed slats being permanently maintained in bowed condition by the cross slats and the side slats which form a, chord between the ends of the bowed slats. y 2. A pre-bent and assembled exible slat cover `for crates comprising a pair of spaced straight 5 side slats, a pair of cross slats to which the oppoj site ends of the straight side slats are ksecured and an upwardly bowed intermediate slat secured at its ends to the cross slats and being maintained in bowed condition by the straight -side slats, said cross and longitudinally extending slats being flexibleand adapted to be nailed to the ends of a crate when the assembled cover lis 5 applied.

` JULIUS J. KROHN. 

